Competing in the Class A Boys Shootout in front of their home fans, the No. 3 Devils Lake Firebirds didn’t disappoint.
Though it might not have been the same type of edge-of-your-seat heart thumper as their win over Grafton, or as large a margin of victory as their pummeling of Rugby, it was still another well-rounded, impressive win Friday. The Firebirds (9-1, 3-1) won 77-56 over a solid Shiloh Christian team (7-3) which is unranked but received votes in the latest polls.
“We got the defensive intensity and played well,” Devils Lake head coach Dustin Brodina said. “We moved the ball well, hit some shots. Tried to take their big guy out of it.”
Friday’s game wasn’t carried by a single player and didn’t feature any major momentum shifts or comebacks. It was a calm, confident Devils Lake effort from the beginning. Wylee Delorme made back-to-back threes in the first quarter, the second one with pressure on him. Joel Nelson, coming off a strong game Monday, made a pair of baskets, while Parker and Beau Brodina, Oliver Wirth and Mason Palmer all chipped in as well.
“We had a lot of guys step up,” Brodina said. “We preach ‘Team, team, team.’ No one better than the other. We moved the ball, and whoever’s open, he hit the shot. Attack and get downhill. If they double-team you, give it to the next guy.”
Devils Lake outscored Shiloh Christian 19-11 in the first quarter, then 22-12 in the second quarter. B. Brodina had six points in the second quarter, while Delorme, Palmer and P. Brodina each had four. Kade Fee also contributed with three points; the Firebirds had four three-point plays thanks to Skyhawk fouls.
“We attacked the basket really hard today, I thought,” Brodina said. “We didn’t rely so much on the three-pointers as we’ve done in the past, which is good to see. Anytime you can get to the rim and finish and do that, that’s always good. I was proud of those guys for that effort in the first half.”
P. Brodina got into his swiftest rhythm early in the third quarter, giving Devils Lake a quick 11 points complemented by two from his brother Beau. He finished with 18 on the day.
“He works his butt off,” Brodina said of his son Parker. “He’s in the right position; it allowed him to get some wide-open shots and get some layups. So that was good for us to get a good start on the third quarter and take any doubt out of their minds.”
Delorme also made his third three of the day in the third quarter, while Nelson made a layup moments after slipping and missing a shot.
With the game in the bag, Brodina rested his regulars in the final five minutes. Shiloh Christian went on an 11-0 run to finish, trimming the lead from 77-45 to 77-56. The Firebirds sealed a comfortable victory and kept their winning ways rolling.
“I thought we laxed up a little bit. Anytime you had a big lead, we kind of gave up a little bit,” Brodina said. “In my opinion, we’ve gotta keep that intensity for a full 32 minutes, regardless of who we’re playing.”
Saturday will bring a tougher matchup for Devils Lake, facing No. 5 Beulah. The Firebirds are the higher-ranked team at No. 3, but as we’ve seen, matchups between ranked teams can be crucial in deciding the following week’s polls. Devils Lake was No. 4 when it beat No. 2 Grafton, remember, and that bumped the Spoilers down to No. 4.
Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Joseph “Mojo” Hill is a reporter covering Lake Region sports for the Devils Lake Journal. Contact him on Twitter @mojohill22 or at jhill@devilslakejournal.com for any tips, questions or story ideas.
